He was still warm, still smiling
by Oustiti
Summary: DH SPOILERS. One shot. Happens during the final battle. Manly about George about Fred. But there is a lot of Draco in it as well. Also some Tonks, Lupin. Pleas R&R. I hope I didn’t spoil anything with the summary.


**He was still warm, still smiling...**

George was running true the hallways of his old school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At any other occasion it had been fun but this was different. This was war. He ran true the hall looking around searching someone. He had been running beside his twin brother and Percy, that idiot had final seen that he had been wrong however George was happy he was back. But when they had reached the first floor after a mission in the dungeons, a bunch of Death Eaters had attacked them from behind. 5 of them had attacked and had managed to split them up. George and Fred had been fighting as one, they always did everything as one. They were one. They had been mastering the Death Eathers quite well and their twin strategy had been scaring them off till they had been forced to jump either to another side when a troll had stormed by. Then George had lost sight of Fred. He had managed to get a glimpse of him and Percy being chased and although George had rather been along side his twin he had no choice but to fight the Death Eathers in front of him. He had just managed to jinx one of his attackers while grinning to himself at the memory of how he and his brother had once used something like it on Malfoy, detention of course but worth it, so worth it. Another jinx an other Death Eather down, he had half been expecting an conversation like 'neatly done my dear brother' coming for the mocking voice on which he would have replied 'like only a holy one can!' with a grin from ear to ear, well one ear in his case. He was just about to go and help Lee, who he had seen a bit farther, who seemed in trouble when he felt a sudden pain. He sank on his hands and knees suddenly as the pain took over his complete body and mind. Had he been hit? Was he cursed? He hadn't seen anyone waving a wand at his direction. And still he felt as if he was dieing. He couldn't have been hit? This pain was far too deep to be caused by any curse he knew, cutting true his soul. People around him were yelling, screaming. Curses flew to every direction, the sound of an explosion had come from the other side of the castle a few minutes ago but none of this meant anything to George who was being torn inside by some unknown pain. Everything around seem to fall away, the world seemed to have stopped for a reason that he just could not find. He felt as if he was going to faint and at the same time as if he was sick and on the edge of puking. No sound came to him, his brains wouldn't respond to the out side world and his heart felt as if it had been pulled out of his chest and was being shattered now. "LOOK OUT!" he felt himself being pushed aside as Lee jumped in front screaming some spell to a Death Eather that had took his aim at George while he had been sitting there defenceless. George still didn't react and looked numbly forwards as Lee turned to him to see if he was all right. Dean was battling the Death Eather who had attacked George. "George? George?" he hear Lee's voice as he shook him. George came to his sense again slowly "Are you hit?" Lee asked while ducking a red light that had been send to his head, nearly missing by and inch. "Sorry." they heard Dean scream to them as he tried to master the Death Eather. "No, no I'm alright." George muttered. This must have been his biggest lie ever as the terribly pain still seemed to torn up his heart inside. He heard Lee talk to him again and shake him lightly. George tried to focus again, he had to, this was war and not a daydream moment during class. "Were are the others?" Lee's voice finally broke George his trance. "Where are Fred and Percy?" he repeated. Suddenly it had struck George. _Fred! _He had felt as if someone had slapped him in the face and he felt as a great emptiness master him. Worse then that of Dementors, worse then any unforgivable curse You-Know-Who would ever be able to shoot at him. "Fred…" he mumbled to himself. By now he had been totally by sense again, the stinging pain still present in his chest. "FRED!" he called out loud as he jumped up and ran of to find his twin brother leaving his friends stunned. Hallways passing, doors flashing by, curses missing him by an inch. He didn't care as he was running as fast as he could to where the explosion had come from. Only one though spinning in his mind: Fred! He hadn't been paying any attention to anything else and didn't take any notion of Rookwood who stroll towards him and roughly tackling him aside, but not taking the time to really get rid of him. Then an enraged Percy ran by after the Death Eather while throwing Curses at him, unforgivable. George felt his heart being pained even more by worries. 'Percy'll be alright.' He though to himself running off to were his instinct was leading him: were the explosion had happened. He arrived looking around seeing the great gaping hole in the castle wall. Stone lay spread all over the floor and the castle looked more like the old ruin that muggles were supposed to see then to the old safe faithful school. A bit further he saw some figure lying rather out of sight. 'It isn't him. Fred is alright, he has to.' He told himself while running towards the silhouette cursing everybody who was in his way aside. He had finally reached the dark shadow lying behind the armour and the same second he had lay on eye on it his worst fear ever had been confirmed and his world was destroyed. He couldn't breath, his head was spinning and he felt as if he was falling in a bottomless pit. There lay the body of his twin brother, motionless with his usual smile stuck on his face. George fell on his knees beside the body taking it in his arms "No, no, no, no,no,no,no…" he kept repeating over and over again in a whisper as if it would undo the terrible lost. "No Fred!" he cried tears flowing down his eyes, clinching his twin brother to his chest. "No Fred, no don't. Stop joking, this is not the moment pal. Not now, come one whip that stupid smile of and stand up and fight." He cried rocking forwards and back again, clinching the body as tight as he could, his tears falling in the red soft hair of his identical twin. "No don't leave me!" he cried in whispers not able to see anymore true his eyes that were filled with tears. "NO COME BACK FRED!" he cried out loud suddenly. It couldn't be. He couldn't…he was still warm, he was still smiling.

Draco Malfoy had a stunned looked on his face as he had been suddenly save by some invisible hero and had been punched in the face the next moment and insulted by Weasley the split second afterwards. He stumbled of off the Death Eather that had attacked him when he suddenly had heard a scream coming form a few feet away. He looked around confused to see what had happened. A bit further he saw the Weasley twins. One of them lying motionless on the ground not giving the least respond on the pleads of his brother who kept begging, whispering, screaming, crying over his lost brother. Malfoy wasn't immediately able to see who was the one on the ground. He had never been able to see the difference between them, which wasn't surprising, their own mother wasn't even able to do so. But then he noticed that the twin hugging the body seem to miss an ear. Snape had blown of the ear of George Weasley while they had tried to intercept Potter when the Order had tried to move him to a sanctuary. So the fallen twin had to be Fred. Draco was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard a loud bang down the hall. He looked away of the heart breaking sight to see if something was about to happen. He stood up again. He had to find his parents. He started to look around for a wand when suddenly he felt himself be thrown against the wall, falling to the ground. Coughing in pain Draco looked up to see that the Weasley twin that had been crying over his lost brothers body, was standing in front of him his wand aiming at his head. He had never seen him that angry and in the past he had pushed him pretty far before. But never had he seen any of the Weasley's so full of hate, grief, determents. "Who?" he demanded to Draco with a steely cold voice, his face still wet of the tears. Draco looked confused, what was he talking about? But before he had even been able to say a thing his opponent cried "Crucio!" Draco had never felt such a torment. He screamed out in pain. His aunt, Bellatrix, had always said that to have that curse right you really had to want to hurt your opponent. You had to be filled by anger, rage and in this case an unhealable grief. Draco fell back down moaning in pain unable to stand up. "Who?" he heart George say again his voice only getting colder and colder. "Who did it?" he demanded pointing with a shaky hand to his twin's body. Draco lay patenting on the floor unable to answer. With a wave of his wand George lifted him up so he could see his face. His brown eyes, filled with anger and pain, looked right into Draco's terrified grey ones. Draco had never seen such an expression. It showed so many feelings at the same time, so many…too much to be able for anyone to bear he thought. Anger, emptiness as if something was missing, all hope lost of his face, a glint of despair, determent, even the desire to kill but most of all pain. Unbearable pain. George kept staring at him while his glare overwhelmed Draco with all these emotions as he repeated "Who…"he didn't seem able to get the words over his trembling lips. "I don't know." Draco said trying to suppress the moans of pain. "There was an explosion or something like it that killed him but I don't know who caused it." Now Draco was certain he wouldn't find his parents in this battle, as he was sure it stopped for him here. He was waiting for George to curse him, to kill him. He couldn't really blame him, he would probably have done the same right away. But never less he was scarred, terrified as he waited for the dead blow that didn't seem to come. He had closed his eyes for those moments as he hadn't had the courage to look his future murderer in the eyes. Those eyes full of grief, grief that no one would feel for him if he died. But as the blow he was awaiting didn't come, he opened his eyes hesitating. What he saw didn't frighten him but brought a horrible feeling of guilt upon him. In his panic he hadn't felt that the remaining of the Weasley twins had just let him back to his feet, he hadn't kill him even if it would have been so easy, he hadn't even try to hurt him. He had just walked back to the body of his brother as he mumbled some incantation and charms to protect the body form any further harm. Draco just stood there staring. First Potter and his two friends and now even another Weasley, who had just lost his most closes family member, had given him mercy. This made something snap inside Draco. The sight of the brother standing in front of the lifeless body of his twin, crying and with no doubt filled with more anger then he had ever been, didn't want to kill him. He was most definitely planning to kill they one who was responsible for his lost, but he didn't want to kill Draco. Even after all these years and everything he had done he didn't want to spill his blood if not necessary. Draco's mind was made up by this, it had changed something inside of him. This war, this fights, those deaths, this unforgettable pain, he didn't want to be a part of it. He didn't want to cause it anymore. He could no longer bear the sight of all these pains. The only desire left inside of him was to be reunited with his parents as he prayed they would be safe and that he wouldn't have to endure the same pain as the Weasley's. He bend down picking up the wand of the Death Eather at his feet and looked up again at George who was still standing in front of his twins body as if he couldn't, wouldn't be parted from him again. Draco walked towards him. 'I must be nuts' was the only thought that passed true his head 'I'm marching right towards a guy, who has just lost his brother and is out for revenge, as if it was perfectly normal.' A split second he shivered with fear 'No this has to end, I've been thinking this all along. I regret the mark from the moment I recieved it. Now the time has come, I will not be part of this anymore.' He said to himself to regaining courage.

George didn't show any notice of Draco's presents at first. After a while he said, with his same cold voice, with out bothering to look at him. "Stay out of my way Malfoy. I do not intent to kill you but I will if you try to stop me or stand in my way!" Then out of the corner of his eyes he saw Malfoy pointing a wand at him and yelling some curse. George had not had the time to protect himself as he hadn't expected it and as his eyes were still glued to Fred. But to his huge surprised Malfoy's curse missed. Why would he miss, George hadn't been quick enough to show any resistance and had not moved: he had been the prefect target. He looked up at Draco who lowered his wand. Only then the Death Eather, that had apparently been standing behind him with no doubt ready to make sure he would meet the same faith as his brother, caught his eye. He looked a little stunned back at Malfoy. Never would he have though that little scum could show any gratitude. 'Cause there was no doubt that', George thought, 'he had only done it so that they would be even again. As a small sign of gratitude for not killing him.' Then Fred caught his eye again. "I'll kill them, all of them!" he said to himself not caring for Malfoy anymore as he turned around to run of and find the one who was responsible for Fred's…. He couldn't even think the word, it was far too painful. He had to stop himself from falling to the floor sobbing again. He didn't care what would happen to him, the only thing he desired was a proper revenge for his brother as he started to run of but Malfoy caught his arm. George spun around lifting his wand. Malfoy how ever, from who he had expect an attack wasn't pointing his wand at him. He looked paler then he had ever had and only now George noticed how bad he actually look: terrified, helpless, hopeless. "I…I want to join." He mumbled barely in a whisper, George could do nothing else then stare. Malfoy turned the wand he had in his hands to George but with the end of it towards himself. "I want to fight at your side." Draco said only turning pallor. George looked stunned, any other time he might have been making jokes about it with Fred but that time had left forever he reminded himself. He took in the expression of fear, and worries all over his face but also regret. All George could do was give a short nod as he ran of to go and find the one who had taken away the person who had been most dear to his heart away.

Spells were still flying to every direction, the Death Eathers were taking over the school slowly. George was fanatically battling a Death Eathers while his eyes were still throwing fire. He had disarmed the Death Eather and he was now delivered at his mercy. He raised his wand ready to say the words… The two words who could in less then a second change the Death Eather into the same lifeless corps that his brother had been turned to. But for some reason he couldn't, he couldn't do it. Inside his head he could hear Fred's voice 'Don't, they're not worth the loss of your innocence.' 'When were we ever innocent my dear brother?' he heart himself reply just to get Fred's laugher as respond. 'You're the best twin bro I could ever have wished for, the best in the world!' the voice of Fred said sounding rather serious. 'Please come back.' George begged once more. 'I wish I could, I really do but I can't.' 'But…' 'Keep them safe.' With that Fred seemed to have disappeared. He came back to reality once more as he heart the Death Eather, who had used the fact that George was distracted to grab his wand again, cry out a curse. George prepared himself to scream out in pain but before the curse reached him he heart the voice of Draco "Protego!" George came out of the attack unharmed still surprised that Malfoy had indeed changed sides. The Death Eather however didn't want to lose his precious time and didn't seem too happy to notice that Malfoy had had a change of hearts. Just now Ginny and Luna came running passed the corner as they had been trying to find others of their side. George had felt a panic taking over on him as he saw that his little sister wasn't safely sitting in the room of requirements waiting till the battle was over, as she had been suppose to. The Death Eather didn't miss the glint of fear in George and aimed his wand to Ginny. "Avada Ka…" This time George had been prepared and as anger swirled inside of him he shot his curse right to the Death Eather, hitting him in his face. And although it hadn't been an unforgivable the impact of the curse that George had send with such a furry had send the Death Eather flying backwards true a window failing down the enormous castle. George didn't care whether he had killed him or not but hurried to Ginny who had sunk to her knees her hands over her head "Ginny?" he called out a fear gripping him, he couldn't lose an other member of his family. He kneeled beside her "Ginny?" "I..I'm alright." She said trembling slightly, throwing her arms around him "Thanks, you were incredible!" she said hugging him while a few tears dangled down her face. Meanwhile Draco had hurried to where the Death Eather had disappeared. "I think he's dead!" he said as he returned leaving Ginny slightly confused as one of the enemies joined them. Outside they could hear the voice of Voldomort. George turned to Draco "You three go to the Great Hall." He ordered and added to a whisper so that only Draco would hear it "If anything happens to them, I'll make the same thing happen 10 times worse to you." Draco didn't say a thing and started to lead the way to the hall pulling Luna along. "I'll see you there in a minute." George said to them as he quickly hugged Ginny. "Be careful don't trust him too easily, but I think he's okay." He whispered to her ear and left.

A few minutes later he was running true the halls when he bumped up to Lee, Dean and Neville. They looked pale and had some scratches but they were alive at least. "George where's Fred?" He couldn't, he couldn't get those words over his lips. "I…I'm going to get him." He said and ran of but they caught up with him again as he had abruptly stopped. In front of him a few were still fighting. Tonks and Lupin were fighting different Death Eathers, 5 still masked and one who had seem to have lost her cover in one of the previous fight, Bellatrix. They were fighting like lions and all of the youngsters fellt admiring for the Aurors. When one of the Death Eathers was about to throw a curse at Tonks, Lupin jumped in front of her to protect her casting back the spell. While all of this happened George saw Tonks take a tight grip of Lupin hand as they quickly exchanged looks, even as it was for less then a second, they were filled with such a strong love that George felt himself being torn up inside even worse then before. Next they saw a flash of green light and both Lupin as Tonks fell lifeless on the floor. The seconds that passed all of them seemed frozen while glaring at the bodies. All this had just been a matter of seconds and they never even had had the chance to interfeer and help them. And although it had seemed as if that single seconds had taken centuries all off them attacked the Death Eathers with a roar of rage. Meanwhile outside Voldomort had finished his speech and the Death Eather start retreating although Neville ran after Bellatrix followed by Dean who tried to stop him. Lee stood motionless beside George. 'deaths' it seemed as if it had been the only word that he had understood as it kept ringing in George's head. Then Lee laid a hand on George shoulder "Let's bring them to the Great hall!" he said as he saw Neville and Dean come back. "I…I have to find…"he muttered but nobody heart it as he couldn't continue. "You can take them?" George asked towards Lee who just gave a small sorrowful look but nodded. With this George took off again to do one of the hardest things he had ever done.

"Where are they?" Mrs.Weasley asked as she was walking around hysterically when she finally saw Percy enter, helping Dean, Lee and Neville dragging two bodies along. They all hurried to them seeing Tonks and Lupin. "Are they…?" Ginny stuttered. "Yes." Lee said hoarsely as they dragged the bodies to the other. Many of the students and teachers were at the verge of tears now only keeping them back to try and be of help as much as they could by helping to take care of the wounded and be of some support to the youngest amongst them. Mrs.Weasley shivered as she noticed that still 3 more of her children were missing. She turned to the others "Were is Ron? Were are Fred and George." At the last names Percy's eyes became wet but he was unable to utter a word. Mrs.Weasley turned whither then a corps as she saw his expression and tears started to built up "Were are they?" she demanded as if her stern voice would force her children to come to her, as she was not prepared to accept that the worst could have happened. Percy wasn't able to say a word, to caught up by his grieve. Then they heard some people nearby mumbling something pointing to the door of the great hall, gasping, whispering. The Weasley's all turned around to see one of the twins caring the other one. Mrs.Weasley gasped and she and the other of her family ran over to the two. George was caring Fred lifeless body in his arms, while his own face was even whither then that of his mother, his eyes puffy and red with tears. George couldn't go on any longer and fell to his knees again hugging the body wishing, praying that it was all just a bad dream as the others had circled around them. All of them crying, Mrs.Weasley was crying out loud screaming. Charlie and Bill wanted to pick up the body and put it beside Lupin and Tonks but George wouldn't let go and they were forced to pick up both of the twins. All of them crying and grieving. Mrs.Weasley had thrown herself over her child's chest clinching him and sobbing while her crying husband was stroking her hair. Percy, Ginny, Bill, Charlie and Fleur had given them their distance and had let the place to the grieving parents and twin. All of them were grieving but none of them nearly as much as George. He clenched his twins head in his arms as he had gentely placed it on his knees as he kept crying, sobbing whispering over and over again. "No, no, no Fred come back. No, I need you, please, I beg you: come back." But it had slowly started to sink in that he wouldn't come back, that he was gone forever. "No, it is not fair. We can not be separated, we MUST not be. We belong together. No." he kept crying as all the attention was turned to him by now as everybody was starring at them. Him and his twin. To the two boys who had always seemed so alive, to the one that would now not move and how the two were even more inseparable then ever before. George kept crying, not being able anymore to say a word as he had a sore throat. Everything ached. His head, his complete body, his heart, his soul. A part of him had died with Fred. He wished, he was wishing sooo furiously that he could turn back time. That he could do it all over again. He would never have left his side. And even if he had died, _they _would have died. He would have made sure that if Fred died he had died with him. But he could only wish that he, he and Fred would have been given the same mercy as Tonks and Lupin. To die together, to die as one as they had always been.

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**Authors note:** I wrote this immediately after I finished reading the book (the upload took so long because I've been fizzling with it for a while). This is my huge protest against the end of the DH. I hate the end of the book. How could she, how dear she kill all those great characters. I knew people would die and stuff but I never expected it to be 1, just 1, of the twins. I knew there would be a Weasley dieing but I never thought it would be the twins and most certainly not just one of them that is just behond cruel! I regret Tonks and Lupin's deaths as well but I had been expecting Lupin to die. But anyway at least they die together, but still it is a pity for little Teddy though. I also cried for Snape. I knew he would die, have seen that one coming for quite a while, but still it was so sad. So basically I've been crying my eyes out when I read it and the few coming days after I just couldn't get it out of my head. I miss Fred and Snape the most of all. I mean first Sirius and then them? That's just too much.  
But anyway the worst of all was that almost none of them got a respectful death scene. I mean for Tonks and Lupin you just see them death and Fred died with out George even being near? I totally disagree with that. So that's why I wroth this fic. To try and give Lupin and Tonks a worthy death scene and George some kind of goodbye. Sorry for the Snape fans I just didn't seem to be able to fit it in, but I'll be writing to his honour as well.  
As for Draco, well again I disagree. I have been expecting ( certainly since the 6 book) that at the end he would have a change of hearts and help the 'good guys'. But in the book you don't really see anything about that. At the end you have the part were you see that the Malfoy's are accepted and not hunted as the other Death Eathers but they don't really say why. Of course Narcissa saving Harry is probably important but I feel as if Draco should do something in it as well and how better prove that Draco changed then by letting him help a Weasley.

Just one more thing: this is a pre one-shot. Some kind of introduction to a longer story. I'm writing a sequel to this were George will be dealing with the grief and trying to bring Fred back to live (Probably with alot of flash backs yes, some Snape in it).  
Anyway hope you liked the story. Sorry for spraying all this on you (my longest Authors note ever XD) but I just needed to get it of off my heart. Please REVIEW.


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